09 October 2009

On Wednesday 23 September, the Faculty of Engineering at UNSW hosted a Donors Reception to thank industry partners and private sponsors for the invaluable support they provide students. The event also gave company representatives and individual donors an opportunity to meet the students who benefit from the scholarships and assistance they offer.

In 2009, the Faculty of Engineering awarded 200 donor-scholarships, 16 more scholarships than in 2008, with four of our industry partners offering four or more scholarships annually. The value of our scholarship is $9,000 per annum for four years.

The Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor Graham Davies, gave a warm welcome and thanks to the company representatives and individual sponsors gathered. “We place a lot of importance on this evening,” he said.

“You make this Faculty tick. Your sponsorship allows us to attract the best students and it allows students to come from a distance.”

Malcolm Cox, Group Manager Technical Development for Xstrata Coal which funds nine undergraduate scholarships, gave a vote of thanks on behalf of the industry sponsors. “All of us are excited about the opportunity to participate in the life of this highly regarded University and Faculty,” he said.

Xstrata Coal has a 20-year history of funding scholarships for students in the Faculty of Engineering. “A long-term partnership between industry and the Faculty is very important,” he said. “We have to be there for the long haul.”

Another long-term supporter of the Faculty of Engineering, Len Ainsworth, Chairman of Ainsworth Game Technology, attended the reception. Mr Ainsworth has donated funds for the Faculty’s new Design Centre, which will be opened as part of the Faculty’s 60th Anniversary celebrations. Mr Ainsworth said he was keen to support the area of design in the Faculty.

“In every product the aesthetics are at least as important as its function. We are competing with the rest of the world, and we can only compete successfully if we make a better and more attractive product,” he said.

As the speeches drew to a close, Megan Rowe, recipient of a Leighton Holdings Limited Rural Undergraduate Scholarship, thanked the sponsors on behalf of the students. She emphasised what their support means in terms of helping with living expenses, particularly for rural students.

“Having a scholarship also gives you more time to study and for extra-curricula activities, as well as the valuable industry opportunities. As a first year student, I am very much looking forward to my industry and vacation placements.”

View Photographs from the 2009 Faculty of Engineering Donors Reception.